Hand wheel



Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

HAND XVHEEL Application sied August 7, 1929. serial No. 384,118.

Although highly useful -in connection with handwheels which are employed in numerous arts, such as to turn rods, stems, shaftsor other objects, I have particularly designed my invention for use in connection with steering wheels of motor vehicles, motor vessels and the like. In the case of steering wheels now in use, the annular rim which is grasped by the hands is continuous and in one piece so that in turning a corner or otherwise changing'the direction of the vehicles travel, the hand or hands mustfbe shifted on Ythe rim,

, and, after the turn has been made, must be 15 shiftedback again to hold the vehicle in 'a straight line of travel. 1 y

This 'shifting of the hands is awkward and involves unnatural twisting of the wrists, and control of the vehicle is rendered imperfect. v Y A 'The object which I have in view is such an improvement ofthe hand wheel-'as will permit and facilitate turningthefwheel as required without` involving unnatural twisting of the wrist or the impairment of the control of the operator. p

I accomplish this and other objects b providing the rim of the hand wheel with7 an interruption whichv is 'occupied bya rim section mounted to swing on an axial line :intersecting the `ri1n, said section being grasped by' a hand ofthe operator, and as the operator turns the wheel, the rim vsection swings on its axis to permit the operators wrist to turn" naturally so that the wrist is not strainednor is the operators control of the wheel impaired.

I provide means wherebyV the movable rim section ymay be locked in place to complete therim. y v

In the accompanying drawings, wherein VI have illustrated the principles of my invention applied to the steering wheel ofya motor vehicle, Fig. 1 is a perspective view o f thesteering wheel with fthe steering post romitted andthe spokes broken away, the

in any manner movable rim section being shown inl fulll ylines completing the lwheel. rim and in y prises the legs -ly, as best shown inv dotted lines swing into angulairelation to the rim.

Fig. 2` is a broken planview of the rim f showing the movable rim section alined with the rim inl full lines and swing into angular relation in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a broken elevation looking from below inFig. 2. i

Fig. 4 is a sectional View line 4 4 in Fig. 3. l

Referring to the drawings, l represents the'rim of a steering wheel and2 the spokes which connect it tothe steering shaft or its central hub which isinot shown. l l i At a place convenient to the hand of the driverv in normal driving, the rimis provided with aV gap or interruption which'is bridged from below by a saddle which com- 3 and the bridge piece 4. p

The legs 3 are rigidly secured iat-their upper ends to the rim adjacent to the .ends thereof and are arcuate being curved inwardly and downwardly and then outward- Fig.-4f.v The ybridge piece 4 connects the lower ends of the'legs and ils center is alined with the center of the rim on a line line of the steering wheel. y

.The legs and bridge piece are preferably integral'and serve tobrace the rim l and maintain it rigid.

.At its center the bridge piecet is provided with a cylindrical socket 5, vtheairis of whose bore vline of the ysteering wheel. movable 'rim vsection 1s parallel with the axial 6' represents the which when in place, as indicated in full lines in the drawings, completes the rim l and thus forms with the latter a full circle, the ends of the rim 1 and theseclion V5 being shaped to litlneatly together, while permitting relative movement.

The rim section 6 is mountedvon a saddle 7 by in shape with the legs 3 andare positioned between the latter when. the section is alined with the rim, and likewise when the section is so alined, the saddle is paralleland above the bridge' piece 4. The legs 8' are tak-en along the i parallel with the axialv means of the legs 8 which correspond Y in the proper direction slightly below into its rim-completing position,

spaced apart sufficiently to give clearance for the hand. y Y Y The center of the saddle 7 is provided with a cylindrical stem 9 which is journaled in the socket 5 and preferably protrudes the latter so that a cotter pin 10 or` other convenient means to ,hold the stem in the socket may be used.

The saddle preferably bears on the upper end of the socket 5 and thus clears the bridge'a.

Means are provided for locking the movable rim section in position for completing the annulus of the rim. Thus I have shown a locking pin 11 occupying a cylindrical hole 12 `in Vone of the legs 3` and arrangedl to engage a hole 13 in the adjacent leg 8. The

outer end4 of the pin is formed with a finger knob, and the pin is also provided with two circumferentially disposedl grooves 141 and 15. A second hole 16'in the leg 3 inter sects the hole 12, and 17 'represents a ball in the inner end of the hole lresiliently pressed against the pin 11 by the spring 18 which is held in the hole 16 as by means of the screw plug 19. e

When the pin 11`is retracted to unlock the movable rim section,.the ball 17 engages the inner groove 14 of. thepin and holds the Vlatter inits retracted position.

vWhen the movablegrim section is swung the pin 11 may be thrust inwardly toy engage the vhole 13 in the leg 8 and the ball. 17 will then engagev the outer groove 15,.thus preventing accidental unlocking of the movable rim section. i

Normally the pin 11 is held retracted and the driver. clasps with one hand the movable rim section while hisother braced lightly grasps the rim 1 at anotherpoint.

In steering. the driver `swings the wheel by means of his hand `which grasps the movable rimA sec-` tion Gfwhich swings Yon its stem 9 in the socket l5, thus providing a :natural wrist movement which will not tire'the driver and which .will facilitate,` the turning of Vthe wheel'. Thus curves and turnsinay be made safely at much higher speeds than are now reasonably` possible, and the response of the vehicle to a change in direction `is much easier and more prompt. If desired two of my movable rim sectionsfmay be provided atthe Yproper inter val in the rim', so that' both handsv may be used to grasp the sections.

`If desired, the movable rim sections may be locked in position to complete the annulus ofthe rim and 'the wheel thenrbe used as an ordinary steering wheel. f Y

The arcuate shape of the legsV 3 and 8 preventsrtheir interfering with the hands lclasping the rim orl the. movable rim sectioni or being? slid alongthe'- same. i

It will lbe noted that my invention greatly improves the control that the driver has over the steering wheel as he maintains his hold thereon without shifting.

Although my invention possesses very marked advantages inrelationrto steering wheels, itis obvious thatM it be' applied to many other types of hand wheels with similar advantage. Thus it is highly useful in connection with the hand wheels of valves and gates, and also the handfbrakes of railway cars and the like. Y'

What I claim is:

1. Ina hand wheel, the combination of a rim having an interrupting gap, and a movable rim section mounted so'as to beswung in a path lying within the .same plane as that of the first mentionedrim into and out ofl completing relation with vthe rim.

2. `In a hand rim having an interrupting gap, and a movable rim section mounted so as to be swung into and out of completing relation with the rim, the axis of movement of the movable .rim section the hand wheel.-

, 3.111 a'` hand Wheel, the combination of a rim having an interrupting gap,av support bridging said gap; and

being. parallel with the axis of wheel, the combination of a tionmounted onsaid support and arranged '95 to be swung into and out of completing rela-` tion` with l`the rim, theaxis .ofmovement of Y the movable rim-section being parallel to .the Y axis of thehand wheel.

4. In a hand wheel, the combination of a rim having an interruptingV gap, a support bridgingsaid gap; and, amovable rim section mounted on saidy support and' arranged to be swung into and out of" eompletingrelation withy the rim, said support beingarranged to provideV clearancefor' thefhand, the axis .of movement of thelmovable rim section lbeing parallel tothe axis ofthe hand wheeL 5; `In a hand wheel, the combinationofa rim having an interruptinggap,fa1 support bridgingsaid gap,a saddle structure-rnounte ed to swing on Std arranged to swing therewith intoand out of completing arrangementwith the rim, the axis of movement of thev movable rim-section being parallel to the axis of the hand Wheel.

6. iIn a h-and wheel, the combination of a rim having an' interrupting gap,y a support saddle structure mount- 7. In a hand: `wheel, the combination! .of a

support, anda rim sectionmounted on the saddle structure andv rim having an interrupting gap, a movable rim section mounted so as to be swung into and out of completing relation with the rim, and means for llocking the rim section in such relation, the axis of movement of the movable rim section being parallel to 

